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Amy Norman (1048 KP) rated Legion - Season 3 in TV
May 7, 2020
Legion is a programme that needs to be watched, it is so visually stunning, and you can easily become lost if you don't give it the full attention it deserves. The opening to this season was fantastic, it was captivating from the opening shots, and harkened back to the Season 1 glory.
It had the slow and steady pace that quietly draws you in, whilst also being completely fantastical, and leaves you wondering what exactly is going on, or where it will lead.
I loved the new combinations, of what I will deem 'teams', and the deep dive into David's past was completely disarming - this becomes more apparent, and relevant, throughout this season.
I read as little as I could about the original Legion, so I had a lot of 'lightbulb' moments throughout this season, but you don't need to be a comic book geek to follow the story.
I found that I had fallen out of love with a couple of the characters, and some of them had less screen time than I would have expected too.
It felt like a bit of a dirge, marching towards the end but this intentionally added to the weight, and severity of the overall arc.
There were still some sweet comedic moments amongst the dark and twisted tone though.
Overall, I was still rooting for a few of the characters and was glad to see them fulfilled in varying ways.
However, I think this was a fitting end to their journey, and I would be happy if it was left as it is now.
It had the slow and steady pace that quietly draws you in, whilst also being completely fantastical, and leaves you wondering what exactly is going on, or where it will lead.
I loved the new combinations, of what I will deem 'teams', and the deep dive into David's past was completely disarming - this becomes more apparent, and relevant, throughout this season.
I read as little as I could about the original Legion, so I had a lot of 'lightbulb' moments throughout this season, but you don't need to be a comic book geek to follow the story.
I found that I had fallen out of love with a couple of the characters, and some of them had less screen time than I would have expected too.
It felt like a bit of a dirge, marching towards the end but this intentionally added to the weight, and severity of the overall arc.
There were still some sweet comedic moments amongst the dark and twisted tone though.
Overall, I was still rooting for a few of the characters and was glad to see them fulfilled in varying ways.
However, I think this was a fitting end to their journey, and I would be happy if it was left as it is now.
Violin and Orchestra by Morton Feldman
Album
German violinist Carolin Widmann's widely acclaimed ECM recordings have traversed a broad arc of...
Merissa (13329 KP) rated Bring Me A Dream (Reveler #5) in Books
May 8, 2021 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.
The tagline on this book is "The madman and the nightmare..." and I really can't say better than that. Erin Kellison has managed to make an unlikeable villain into a funny, psycho hero! Vincent knows he is going insane and is enough to admit it. His perfect partner is a nightmare, none other than Didier Lambert's daughter, Mirren.
The story arc that is through all of the books continues in this installment. Didier Lambert is still the evil of the piece but who is the new player that we are hearing about, The Sandman. We learn more about him as we go through with Vince and Mirren. She has grown up hearing about him and believes in him. Vince thinks he is made up and is just the 'boogeyman'. As they journey into the Reve they will found out one way or another. They have allies and friends along the way but will they be able to keep them?
This novella is action-packed, well paced and full of suspense all the way through. This is part of a series so it must be read in order for any of it to make sense but I can highly recommend the whole thing! Once you start, you will want to carry on. Each of the characters we have met before make an appearance, as well as new ones to keep you on your toes. Highly enjoyable and the pages whizz by.
December 22, 2014
The tagline on this book is "The madman and the nightmare..." and I really can't say better than that. Erin Kellison has managed to make an unlikeable villain into a funny, psycho hero! Vincent knows he is going insane and is enough to admit it. His perfect partner is a nightmare, none other than Didier Lambert's daughter, Mirren.
The story arc that is through all of the books continues in this installment. Didier Lambert is still the evil of the piece but who is the new player that we are hearing about, The Sandman. We learn more about him as we go through with Vince and Mirren. She has grown up hearing about him and believes in him. Vince thinks he is made up and is just the 'boogeyman'. As they journey into the Reve they will found out one way or another. They have allies and friends along the way but will they be able to keep them?
This novella is action-packed, well paced and full of suspense all the way through. This is part of a series so it must be read in order for any of it to make sense but I can highly recommend the whole thing! Once you start, you will want to carry on. Each of the characters we have met before make an appearance, as well as new ones to keep you on your toes. Highly enjoyable and the pages whizz by.
December 22, 2014
Merissa (13329 KP) rated Scrape (Reveler #8) in Books
May 8, 2021 (Updated Apr 16, 2023)
This is the last book in the Reveler series and it is a fast-paced and intense story. There are all the loose threads of the overall story arc, as well as the individual threads of the characters, that all need to be tied up for a satisfying conclusion. There is enough action to keep any wannabe hero intrigued, whilst the romance part shifts to a deeper level. There are no new insta-lust attractions in this book, just the continuation of previous ones that benefit all the more from them having time together.
Scrape packs in so many emotions, I think I went through all of them whilst reading this story. The one that comes across loudest for me though, was family. All of the characters now think of themselves as one family, and that only makes them stronger when adversity is facing them.
I am going to miss this series and the world of darksight, reves, and Chimera. I think Erin Kellison has done an amazing job and now I will have the pleasure of reading them all again. If you like a paranormal world that is a little bit different from vampires and shifters, then I can highly recommend the Reveler Series. Start at book one and lose yourself in the dream.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 16, 2015
Scrape packs in so many emotions, I think I went through all of them whilst reading this story. The one that comes across loudest for me though, was family. All of the characters now think of themselves as one family, and that only makes them stronger when adversity is facing them.
I am going to miss this series and the world of darksight, reves, and Chimera. I think Erin Kellison has done an amazing job and now I will have the pleasure of reading them all again. If you like a paranormal world that is a little bit different from vampires and shifters, then I can highly recommend the Reveler Series. Start at book one and lose yourself in the dream.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 16, 2015
David McK (3623 KP) rated The Last Command (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, #3) in Books
Nov 21, 2021
The final part of Timothy Zahn's 'Heir to the Empire' trilogy, which I first read way back in the early to mid 1990s ('94, '95, thereabouts).
So we're talking before the Prequel trilogy, never mind the Sequel trilogy. Before even the 'Special Editions' of the original movies.
And, talking of the Sequel Trilogy: I'm of the opinion that these would have been a better basis for those films than the disjointed mess we eventually got: there's a clear overall arc to the plot here, it doesn't disrespect the core characters (Han, Luke, Leia) while also does both deepen and expand upon the original trilogy, and introduces certain characters and locations that later made their way into the mainline movies: Coruscant? Grand Admiral Thrawn? The Noghri? All have their first appearances in these novels. I'm still waiting for Mara Jade to make her live-action debut, though ...
That's not to say that changes would have been needed: The Clone Wars mentioned here, for example, here has the Clones as the villains of the piece, and makes absolutely no reference to the Droid armies of the Trade Federation (understandably, as - remember - this was released way before 1999s 'The Phantom Menace').
All in all, this is a strong trilogy of novels that laid the groundwork for what would later become known as the Expanded Universe- later renamed as Legends - and of which parts are now being cherry-picked to fit into the main story lines following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm back in (roughly) 2012 or so.
So we're talking before the Prequel trilogy, never mind the Sequel trilogy. Before even the 'Special Editions' of the original movies.
And, talking of the Sequel Trilogy: I'm of the opinion that these would have been a better basis for those films than the disjointed mess we eventually got: there's a clear overall arc to the plot here, it doesn't disrespect the core characters (Han, Luke, Leia) while also does both deepen and expand upon the original trilogy, and introduces certain characters and locations that later made their way into the mainline movies: Coruscant? Grand Admiral Thrawn? The Noghri? All have their first appearances in these novels. I'm still waiting for Mara Jade to make her live-action debut, though ...
That's not to say that changes would have been needed: The Clone Wars mentioned here, for example, here has the Clones as the villains of the piece, and makes absolutely no reference to the Droid armies of the Trade Federation (understandably, as - remember - this was released way before 1999s 'The Phantom Menace').
All in all, this is a strong trilogy of novels that laid the groundwork for what would later become known as the Expanded Universe- later renamed as Legends - and of which parts are now being cherry-picked to fit into the main story lines following Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm back in (roughly) 2012 or so.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2426 KP) rated A Streetcar Named Murder in Books
Dec 15, 2022
Promising First Draft, but Needed Lots of Work
Valerie Cooper is facing changes in her life. A young widow, her twin sons are now off at college, and she struggling to fill her days. An unexpected letter reveals she’s inherited the estate of one of her late husband’s great uncles, a man that Valerie didn’t know existed. The inheritance includes an antique shop. Meanwhile, Valerie attends a Halloween costume ball, but the night ends when she finds a woman she knows stabbed to death outside the dance. What is going on?
I sat down to read this hoping to find a new series I’d enjoy. Sadly, it was very disappointing. The author tried for something different when it came to the plot, which I appreciate, but the result wasn’t plotted well at all but did pick up in the second half. It wasn’t helped by Valerie’s constant reflections on her life before her husband died and questioning why she’d never heard of this great uncle. While this is important for Valerie’s character growth, it got to be a bit much. Unfortunately, the ARC I read was also riddled with errors that should have been caught in editing, some of which made me question if what I saw from the suspects was the suspects hiding something or the sloppy editing. Meanwhile, the author goes too far in making the victim unlikeable, turning her one dimensional. I did like Valerie and her family and friends. But there is not enough good here to recommend the book.
I sat down to read this hoping to find a new series I’d enjoy. Sadly, it was very disappointing. The author tried for something different when it came to the plot, which I appreciate, but the result wasn’t plotted well at all but did pick up in the second half. It wasn’t helped by Valerie’s constant reflections on her life before her husband died and questioning why she’d never heard of this great uncle. While this is important for Valerie’s character growth, it got to be a bit much. Unfortunately, the ARC I read was also riddled with errors that should have been caught in editing, some of which made me question if what I saw from the suspects was the suspects hiding something or the sloppy editing. Meanwhile, the author goes too far in making the victim unlikeable, turning her one dimensional. I did like Valerie and her family and friends. But there is not enough good here to recommend the book.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Shrooms ( Garden Variety Zombies 1) in Books
Nov 2, 2023
163 of 235
Kindle
Booksirens ARC
Shrooms (Garden Variety Zombies 1)
By Zola Joyce
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hazel always had doubts about the protective abilities of the government. Particularly Child Protective Services and the cranky old lady who’d been doing her best to separate Hazel from her one and only parental unit. Why couldn’t Mrs. Stenopoulos see the value of independent living, and Hazel’s knack for it from the youngest of ages?
She was second in command of her mother’s slightly illegal but very profitable enterprise.
She’d taught herself to drive a full four years before she was eligible to get a license.
She’d rescued her beloved hound from the ‘Clinical Trial’ her mother’s boyfriend of the month had recently concocted.
And just a few weeks after her 15th birthday, she’d secured a full ride scholarship to the local university. Early entrance.
Hazel was a caretaker, a dog lover, and a crack shot. Ask anyone in town.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you enjoy Zombie YA then it’s definitely the book for you! I think it could have done with a bit more humor and it did have some just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’ve gone with a 3⭐️ because it’s well written and the idea is really interesting. The ending has thrown me a little and I really want to read the next to make sure I wasn’t high on mushrooms reading that last page 😆.
Kindle
Booksirens ARC
Shrooms (Garden Variety Zombies 1)
By Zola Joyce
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hazel always had doubts about the protective abilities of the government. Particularly Child Protective Services and the cranky old lady who’d been doing her best to separate Hazel from her one and only parental unit. Why couldn’t Mrs. Stenopoulos see the value of independent living, and Hazel’s knack for it from the youngest of ages?
She was second in command of her mother’s slightly illegal but very profitable enterprise.
She’d taught herself to drive a full four years before she was eligible to get a license.
She’d rescued her beloved hound from the ‘Clinical Trial’ her mother’s boyfriend of the month had recently concocted.
And just a few weeks after her 15th birthday, she’d secured a full ride scholarship to the local university. Early entrance.
Hazel was a caretaker, a dog lover, and a crack shot. Ask anyone in town.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you enjoy Zombie YA then it’s definitely the book for you! I think it could have done with a bit more humor and it did have some just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’ve gone with a 3⭐️ because it’s well written and the idea is really interesting. The ending has thrown me a little and I really want to read the next to make sure I wasn’t high on mushrooms reading that last page 😆.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Secrets, Lies & Revenge (Book 1) in Books
Jul 11, 2023
92 of 235
Book
Secrets,Lies &Revenge (Book 1)
By Ben Andrews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four women. Three murders. Infinite secrets.
After Emily Lamont and her grandmother, Cynthia, move into the affluent neighborhood of Beechwood Close — their plan is set in motion.
Ava Shaw has built up a stellar reputation, the envy of society at Beechwood. Yet her troubled past soon catches up with her when things begin to spiral out of control, threatening to finally expose the truth she spent years hiding.
Rose Walker is struggling to find peace in her home, but when she is approached by a stranger who spins stories of a group that can change her life, things finally start to look up. Until she learns of their sinister motives…
Florence Foster is transforming her life in a desperate attempt to recapture the affections of her wandering husband. But, as divorce approaches, her worst fears come to fruition.
As plans unfold and secrets are revealed, the fate of the four women hangs in the balance. But one thing is for certain, hell hath no fury like a women scorned.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was full of drama from the start. The characters were interesting and you felt everything with them. A book full of secrets, lies and revenge it certainly was. I was lucky enough to be gifted this along with an Arc copy of book 2 in the series and I can’t wait to see how these lives continue to unfold.
Book
Secrets,Lies &Revenge (Book 1)
By Ben Andrews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four women. Three murders. Infinite secrets.
After Emily Lamont and her grandmother, Cynthia, move into the affluent neighborhood of Beechwood Close — their plan is set in motion.
Ava Shaw has built up a stellar reputation, the envy of society at Beechwood. Yet her troubled past soon catches up with her when things begin to spiral out of control, threatening to finally expose the truth she spent years hiding.
Rose Walker is struggling to find peace in her home, but when she is approached by a stranger who spins stories of a group that can change her life, things finally start to look up. Until she learns of their sinister motives…
Florence Foster is transforming her life in a desperate attempt to recapture the affections of her wandering husband. But, as divorce approaches, her worst fears come to fruition.
As plans unfold and secrets are revealed, the fate of the four women hangs in the balance. But one thing is for certain, hell hath no fury like a women scorned.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was full of drama from the start. The characters were interesting and you felt everything with them. A book full of secrets, lies and revenge it certainly was. I was lucky enough to be gifted this along with an Arc copy of book 2 in the series and I can’t wait to see how these lives continue to unfold.
Merissa (13329 KP) rated The Eternal Series - Box Set Books 1 to 4 in Books
Jul 9, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)
THE ETERNAL SERIES: Books 1-4 not only gives you the four main stories, but two added extra shorts. The first one tells the origin story of Sammael/Alaric and the second is Kaitlyn and Raif's story.
The premise of this series is a really good one, but I'm afraid the constant time- and head-hopping made the writing style difficult for me to get into. There were also numerous spelling mistakes that jolted me out of the story. There were also a multitude of euphemisms used, eg. middle leg, and flag pole. I'll leave it to you to figure out what was being spoken about. And if I had a euro for every time "Rock, meet hard place," was mentioned, I'd be rich.
I enjoyed most of the characters and their individual stories. I also enjoyed seeing how their relationships continued in the following stories. The only one I really didn't like was Alex. He annoyed me from the beginning and nothing he did changed my mind.
I'm sure there are plenty of stories left in this series and I certainly wouldn't mind continuing with the story. Each book is long enough to sink your teeth into with plenty of intense steamy scenes too.
Great stories and overall story arc, recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 9, 2021
The premise of this series is a really good one, but I'm afraid the constant time- and head-hopping made the writing style difficult for me to get into. There were also numerous spelling mistakes that jolted me out of the story. There were also a multitude of euphemisms used, eg. middle leg, and flag pole. I'll leave it to you to figure out what was being spoken about. And if I had a euro for every time "Rock, meet hard place," was mentioned, I'd be rich.
I enjoyed most of the characters and their individual stories. I also enjoyed seeing how their relationships continued in the following stories. The only one I really didn't like was Alex. He annoyed me from the beginning and nothing he did changed my mind.
I'm sure there are plenty of stories left in this series and I certainly wouldn't mind continuing with the story. Each book is long enough to sink your teeth into with plenty of intense steamy scenes too.
Great stories and overall story arc, recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 9, 2021
Merissa (13329 KP) rated Huntress (Angelbound Offspring #7) in Books
May 27, 2021 (Updated Jul 26, 2023)
HUNTRESS is the penultimate seventh book in the Angelbound Offspring series and I would absolutely recommend you read it as part of a series. While it is Huntress and Gage's story, parts of Kaps and Mack's are also mentioned.
First of all, I loved how we went back in time to when Huntress was a child. I thought the world-building was brilliant and I loved hearing about the Honeycomb Hall. Doofus - I'm still wondering about though! And what happened to the other novices and familiars? Hmm. As for Gage and his Crew, I love them all. Each with their own distinct personality, they made me smile throughout the story.
As with every Christina Bauer book, the characters are outstanding. The overall story arc is present and intriguing, whilst the nitty-gritty gives you information and details about the characters that you never even knew you needed until you had them. The story is told from both Huntress and Gage's point of view, with the chapters clearly titled so you know which is which before you start reading.
Huntress was a perfect addition to the series and now I'm waiting on tenterhooks for Gage! I really want to hear about things from his perspective. A brilliant story and absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 27, 2021
First of all, I loved how we went back in time to when Huntress was a child. I thought the world-building was brilliant and I loved hearing about the Honeycomb Hall. Doofus - I'm still wondering about though! And what happened to the other novices and familiars? Hmm. As for Gage and his Crew, I love them all. Each with their own distinct personality, they made me smile throughout the story.
As with every Christina Bauer book, the characters are outstanding. The overall story arc is present and intriguing, whilst the nitty-gritty gives you information and details about the characters that you never even knew you needed until you had them. The story is told from both Huntress and Gage's point of view, with the chapters clearly titled so you know which is which before you start reading.
Huntress was a perfect addition to the series and now I'm waiting on tenterhooks for Gage! I really want to hear about things from his perspective. A brilliant story and absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
May 27, 2021